Apparatus for rendering water pure and palatable.



No. 68l,289. Patented Aug. 27, l90l..

I J. S. WRIGHTNUUR.

APPARATUS FOR RENDERING WATER PURE AND PALATABLE.

(Application filed Feb. 19, 1900.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES //v VENTOI? 1;": mums FEYER$ 00.. mcYouTv-Io.v wnwnmw u c JOHN SPRATT WRlGI-ITNOUR, OF OIL CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR RENDERING WATER PURE AND PALATABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming 125L143 f Letters Eatent N0. 681,289, dated August 27, 1901. Application filed February 19,1900. Serial No. 5,726. (No model.)

.T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN SPRATT \VRIGHT- NOUR, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Oil City, in the county of Venan go and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Apparatus for Rendering Water Pure and Palatable, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a superior apparatus for purifying water for rendering the water palatable and healthful, the same as natural or spring water, to which end I employ a boiler, the vapors from Which are led through a filter of highly-absorbent charcoal or similar deodorizing material, not including coke orhard substances, and thence to a peculiarly-arranged condenser, in connection with which-pure cold air rich in oxygen is employed, the water of condensation being introduced into a chamber in which such air is contained for the double purpose of cooling the water and thoroughly aerating it with the oxygenated air.

This specification is the disclosure of one form of the invention, while the claim defines the actual scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the invention, and Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof.

The apparatus is erected on a suitable framing or support 3 and comprises, preferably, a cylindrical reservoir 4, divided into two compartments, (designated 5 and 6, respectively.) On this reservoir 4 is mounted a boiler 7, which may be heated by a gas-burner 8 of any desired form. This boiler 7 is provided at its lower portion with a watertight transparent door 9, permitting the interior of the boiler to be viewed and also facilitating cleaning out the bottom of the boiler. A peephole is formed in the upper portion of the boiler and covered by a-transparent plate 10. In the upper part of the boiler 7 a removable perforated plate or screen 11 is secured horizontally and supports a quantity 12 of the most absorbent charcoal obtainable or similar material, not including coke or hard substances, through which steam from the wa ter in the boiler '7 passes. I 14 is provided at the top of the boiler 7, and a safety-valve 15 is also provided to avoid the danger of bursting the boiler under excessive steam-pressure therein. Water may be introduced into the boiler by a valved inlet-funnel 16, as shown.

From the upper part of the boiler 7, above the charcoal, &c., 12, a pipe 17 leads downward to take the steam to the chamber 6 of the reservoir 4. In this chamber the steam is condensed, the water of condensation accumulating on the bottom of the chamber 6, as indicated in the drawings. This Water may be led to the chamber 5 by means of a valved pipe 18, and the chamber 5 is commanded by a cock 19, from which the purified water may be withdrawn into a suitable vessel, for the convenient support of which I provide a platform 20, forming part of the frameorsupport 3. Forsupplyingairatalow temperature and highly charged with oxygen I'employa suitable apparatus 21, which may be that disclosed in my Patent No. 651,223, dated June 5, 1900. This apparatus 21 is connected bya pipe 22 with a chamber 5 and serves to supply to the chamber highly-oxygenated air-11 6., much richer in oxygen than atmospheric air at a low temperature. This cold air serves to cool the chamber 6 of the reservoir 4, causing the steam to be condensed therein. The oxygenated air filling the chamber 5 serves also to aerate the water of condensation when led into the chamber 5 through the pipe 18.

In communication with the chamber 6 by Way of a valved pipe 23 is a small container 24. A screen 25 is placed in the container, and below this screen a sponge is arranged to prevent the passage of solid matter through the pipe 23. Within the container 24 may be placed any substance capable of producing carbon dioxid in gaseous form-for example, liquid carbon dioxid may be placed in the container and upon volatilizing carbon dioxid in gaseous form or carbonic-acid gas will be produced, and upon opening the valve in the pipe 23 said gas will pass into the chamber 6 and be absorbed by the water of condensation therein, thus giving the water a sparkling appearance and palatable taste.

A hermetic cover In using the apparatus the water is introduced into the boiler 7 and the burner 8 started, so as to boil the water, the vapors passing up through the charcoal 12 and thence down into the chamber 6. Here the vapors will be condensed by the proximity of the cold air in the chamber 5, and, if desired, the water maybe charged with carbonic acid gas, as explained. The water of condensation should now be transferred to the chamber 5, in passing into which it will be thoroughly aerated by the oxygenated air passing into the chamber 6 and by its falling through such air in the chamber 5, and at the same time the water will be cooled by the low temperature of the air which is derived from the container 21, as will be understood by reference to my'prior application referred to above. To withdraw the water from the apparatus, the container 21 should be shut off from the chamber 5 and the cock 19 opened.

It will be understood that by passing the steam through the oxygen-charged charcoal 12 the steam is deprived of impurities existing therein, including those due particularly to the charring of the carbonaceous matter in the water. When it is desired to clear out the charcoal and place it in condition to effectively perform this function,the water may be completely withdrawn from the boiler and the burner caused to thoroughly heat the same. Then upon removing the cover 14 the charcoal will be thoroughly dried and purified. Also the whole apparatus may be thoroughly ventilated by withdrawing all the water therefrom, opening the cock of the pipe 18 and inlet-funnel 16, and closing the cock 19. Then upon opening the container 21 the pure air therefrom will pass successively through the chambers 5 6 and boiler 7, thus thoroughly purifying all of these parts and recharging the charcoal with oxygen. To prevent the charcoal from clogging the entrance of pipe 17,

suitable provision may be made, as by a removable wire screen on top of the charcoal.

By means of this apparatus the impure air of the room in which the apparatus is placed may be excluded from the interior of the device and no air admitted except the pure oxygenated air aforesaid.

Various changes in the form, proportions, and minor details of my invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Hence I consider myself entitled to all such variations as may lie within the scope of my claim. For instance, the air-chamber 5 may be continued up by one or more sides of the condensing-chamber 6, as desired, or a portion of it may be continued up on the interior part of the chamber 6, the pipes 23 and 18 communicating always with said chamber 6 and thischamber being properly supported.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- An apparatus for rendering water pure and palatable, comprising a reservoir having a partition dividing it into two compartments, means communicating with one of said compartments for conducting cold air thereto, means forming a valved communication between the two compartments, a boiler, and means establishing communication between the boiler and the second compartment of the said reservoir to permit the vapor of water to pass into said second compartment so as to be condensed and aerated in the manner specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN SPRATT WRIGHTN OUR.

Witnesses:

JOHN MoGARvEY, BARNEY CANNING. 

